Don't Give Away the End
by singsongsung
Summary: Nate/Serena. They love each other, in whatever ways that they do. So they're going to stop bothering with logistics. They're just going to watch some really good tv. Amidst all the other stories, they'll figure out their own. Series of Oneshots.
1. how i met your mother

**Don't Give Away the End**

**A/N:** I love NS very much, but I don't think about them every second of every day. I have other interests. Consequently, whenever I'm talking NS with anyone, we inevitably veer off to some other subject. And since our minds are already versed in TV-land, we usually end up talking about other shows or movies, and the inevitable response to those topics is: "Awwww. Nate and Serena would love that. They'd be so cute watching it!" So, this fic is a series of oneshots tied together by the fact that each of them will feature Nate and Serena watching something together. They'll obviously make more sense if you've watched whatever NS are watching. Mostly fluff. Chuck, Blair, and Eric will inevitably make appearances from time to time because I can't resist them, especially not Eric.

**Disclaimer: **If I owned NS they would dominate the show the way CB currently do. Unfortunately, I don't, so none of it's mine. Chances are I'll always reference and/or directly quote from whatever tv show or movie NS are watching in each oneshot. None of that is mine, either. And now, without further ado: enjoy!

**1. how i met your mother **

Serena giggles delightedly from where she's curled up on the couch, watching Nate, who's in her penthouse's kitchen getting snacks and beer. "Oh my god, Natie," she says giddily, "do you even know how awesome we are?"

He winks at her across the room. "Oh, we're awesome. We're so awesome at being awesome that sometimes we forget to be awesome and we're just awesome anyway, because that's the way we rock awesomeness."

"Word," she agrees laughingly, choosing to blame the heat she can feel in her cheeks on her general happiness. She is so in love with the way he looks at her sometimes. "Oh!" she adds brightly, sitting up on her knees on the couch cushions, resting her weight back on her heels. "You know what else we are?"

Nate grins at her as he sets two bottles of beer and two bowls of some crazy chips that claim to be made from vegetables on the table in front of the couch. He knows that it probably cost a ridiculous amount of money, and that he should probably use coasters and get some napkins, but Serena doesn't care about that stuff. She's just beaming at him with those bright blue eyes, looking every bit as eager and adorable as she did when they were little kids. "I think I might," he tells her, "but maybe you should just say whatever it is."

"Okay," she says, asking him with her eyes if he's ready. He laughs and she gives in, saying, "Awe…" She pauses, lips pursed, holding a finger up in the air as she makes eye contact with him that's a little more smouldering than it should be. "Wait for it," she means to tease, but it comes out a breathy whisper, Nate leaning closer to her. "_Wait for it_…" She has to catch her breath before she can finally conclude: "…some!"

"Oh!" They both cry enthusiastically as if it's the best thing she's ever said. They always get like this before the show: hyper moods to disguise the nervous excitement they both feel. They've never really dated. This is as close as they get, and they hold on to stolen moments like treasures excavated from a relationship that never truly got a chance. They never, ever talk about it, because that would ruin how it is for them. Nate and Serena is a relationship that _happens_. It's never _discussed_.

"Slow motion high five?" Nate asks, blue orbs sparkling, energy (chemistry, really) crackling between them.

"Oh yeah," she agrees readily, sitting up even more to hit her palm against his. Their fingers link in the air and stay that way as he collapses onto the couch at her side.

"You realize that's the _eighth_ time you guys have said awesome in the past _two_ minutes," Eric interjects from his seat on the other side of Serena.

Serena flashes him a quick smile and hands him a bowl of veggie chips. "Because _how i met your mother_ is awesome, baby brah," she tells him, pronouncing _bro_ the allegedly _cool_ way.

"Barney Stinson," Nate contributes agreeably, "is _awesome_."

"That's ten," Eric sighs, digging into his chips and resolving to ignore them for the duration of the show. Serena's never been very good at defining her own relationships, but he can't help but find it funny – almost cute – the way she and Nate use this shared obsession of some comedy show as an excuse to get lost in each other for half an hour each week. His eyes widen as he glances back over at them, stopping his jaw from dropping just in time so that he doesn't reveal the mess of half-chewed chips in his mouth. "…_what_ are you guys _wearing_? And if your answer involves the word _awesome_, I don't need to hear it."

"Eric," Serena sighs, gesturing to her white blouse, unbuttoned to a point that can be considered scandalous depending on how she moves, a blue-and-white striped tie hanging overtop. "We _suited up_."

"Oh dear God," he sighs as well as Nate brushes off the lapels of his black blazer, winking at the younger boy across the couch.

"Eric doesn't think we're awesome," Serena stage-whispers to Nate, her lips brushing the shell of his ear in a way that feels surprisingly intimate.

"Okay, that's it, I'm done." He gets up, laughing under his breath. "And I'm taking the chips."

"Eric –" Serena begins seriously. She didn't mean to make her little brother feel left out.

He waves away her apologies and playful pleas before they can even begin. "It's okay. You guys hang out. TiVo it, I'll watch in the morning. I'm going to call Jonathon."

Serena's lips curve up into a pretty, grateful smile with a little bit of mischief mixed in as she lifts a hand into the air for a high five and says suggestively, "_Yeah, _you are." At his sceptical look she laughs and drops her hand, winking at him. "Sorry."

"No problem," Eric says easily as he walks off, laughing to himself. He's willing to bet that thirty seconds from now they'll have forgotten all about him. "Have an _awesome_ time!" he yells over his shoulder.

"Ready?" Nate asks Serena, looping an arm casually around her shoulders.

"I suited up, didn't I?" she laughs. The show begins and they _shhhh!_ each other playfully for so long that they miss the first few words. The beginning promises a typically hilarious episode, and they're both laughing by the time the theme song comes on, and Serena sings along to the _ba ba ba pa pa!_ enthusiastically while Nate rolls his eyes teasingly in her direction. They ignore the commercials entirely as they try to remember what the rules were for the drinking game they invented to play with this show, but in the end they give up as the characters reappear on the screen and Serena challenges Nate to chug his whole beer the first time Barney says _legendary_, which is only seconds later.

It's such a carefully choreographed dance that they do, with their jokes and the friendly way they touch each other, the beer and the chips, the outfits, the perfectly casual air of it all. They're just hanging out. They're been friends since they were so young; there's nothing in the rulebook that says they're not allowed to do this.

But they're Nate and Serena, and they have so rarely done anything by the rules when it comes to one another.

In the second set of commercials they argue about plot points. They've given up on their beer and snacks and their real-world boundaries; Serena's practically sitting in Nate's lap, her face close to his.

"I'm right," she insists, with that petulant quality of hers that goes back as far as he can remember, but there's something else in his voice, sultry and sweet that he hears on rare, precious occasions, like it's been reserved just for him. The way she says those two words make him want to give in to her, and he stops thinking, his lips just barely brushing hers, but then she pulls back so quickly that he finds himself confronted with reality again.

Nate smirks sheepishly under her knowing gaze, nuzzling his nose against hers light-heartedly to ease the sudden onslaught of tension. "I'm right," he replies just as stubbornly.

"Tell ya what," Serena says easily, her body sinking even closer to his. "Let's do it. _Slap bet_."

Nate's eyes widen. "Slap bet? You're not serious."

"Dead serious, Nathaniel," she replies, a dare visible in the way her eyebrows arch and her eyes widen.

"Serena, I would never slap you," he tells her simply. "Even if I won."

"That's sweet, Natie. But it's okay, because you _won't_ be winning."

"What are the conditions?" he asks, relenting.

"Just one slap," she says sweetly, licking her lips. "Loser gets it. Very simple."

"Oh-_kay_," he sighs begrudgingly. "Slap bet."

Serena holds out her pinkie solemnly and he locks his through hers just as sombrely before they kiss their thumbs. It's a done deal.

Nate sighs regretfully as they settle back to watch the show. Serena's body is warm against his; he can feel her curves and the steady beat of her heart. "Are you gonna bitch-slap me?" he asks, already resigned to the outcome of their bet, the idea of which they got from the show they're watching. "Because people kind of love this face, you know."

Rolling her eyes, she pushes his face away from hers lightly. Her finger slips into his mouth and she glares at him when he bites down. Her eyes are sparkling. "Who said anything about _where_ the slap was given?"

He shakes his head in feigned amazement of her evil mind. "You're playing dirty."

She laughs good-naturedly, taking a deep breath. Nate smells so good. She loves boys in suits, especially Nate, when the scent of _him_ mixes with hints of cologne. She can't get close enough to him when he's all dressed up; he seems even more irresistible than usual. Her eyelashes flutter and she runs her tongue lightly over her lips again before she asks him, "Aw, Natie, when have I ever done things _any_ other way?"

For all the time they spend gushing over _their_ show and its general awesomeness, they're completely forgetting to pay any attention to the on-screen happenings at all. Nate can't look away from her. He loves it when she calls him _Natie_, and he loves it even more when she does it while she's got that bad-girl glimmer in her eyes. Serena lets the moment linger before she buries her face against the warm skin of his neck, inhaling that intoxicating scent of him. She feels so overwhelmingly content that she's sleepy. She closes her eyes as she feels his arms wrap tighter around her.

"Let me know if I win," she murmurs.

"I could lie," Nate says into her hair, and she laughs lightly.

"You're too awesome for that," she teases lazily. "Besides…I trust you."

It turns out that Nate's prediction is actually the correct one, so he teases her for five minutes straight while doing his best impression of one of the characters, while she pouts at him with those bedroom eyes.

"Okay," she finally sighs, because Serena is not a sore loser. She sits up and stretches her arms over her head. "You win. Let me have my slap."

Nate laughs. "Serena, I'm not going to slap you."

"Hey, no! We made a bet. You won. We both agreed. Slap bet."

"No way," he says firmly, even as she scrambles to her feet.

"It doesn't have to be on my _face_," she assures him easily, striking a pose and mocking him: "Because people…they kinda love this face. Y'know?"

He scoffs at her antics. "I'm not slapping you."

"Wrists," she offers, extending her arms. When he still doesn't make a move, her eyebrows fly up. "Okay, what body part did you have in mind, then?" she asks softly, even though her tone exudes a sexy sort of confidence.

Nate studies her carefully, wondering how far this can go before they start falling into dangerous territory. Serena's always up for an adventure and he's always up for…well, _Serena_…but they have their carefully crafted friendship, and it would break him to lose her. They have each other in selective, secretive ways; nothing more, nothing less.

But tonight he can't help but want to err on the _more_ side of things.

"I won," he murmurs. "So I guess I get to pick what I do to you, right?"

Her lips curve into a smirk at the way he phrases his words, but there is no hesitance in her eyes. "I guess you could say that, Natie."

He reaches toward her, grasping her wrists, and she doesn't even flinch for a millisecond because she knows just as well as he does that he could never hurt her, not even playfully. When she's close enough, he tugs on her loosened tie instead, pulling her body toward his. His other hand lands on her waist as she straddles him comfortably, something new beginning to flicker in her eyes.

"_Nate_," she breathes, "What –"

Before she can say another word he lets go of her tie and cups her face in her hand instead, pulling her into a kiss. It's languorous and sweet and Serena sinks into it with a contented little sound at the back of her throat, arms slipping around his neck immediately, forcing their bodies close, her hips pressing into his. He tastes as good as he smells and he kisses her hungrily, but gently. For once, they're letting themselves take some time – not enough to think, exactly, but enough to appreciate each other.

When they pull apart they rest their foreheads against each other's as they inhale. Serena keeps her eyes closed for a moment and when her eyelashes finally flutter and her blue orbs are exposed, Nate knows for a fact that he'll never forget the look of her in that moment, cheeks flushed and hazy, halfway-to-dreamland eyes dancing perfectly. She is fully there in that moment with him, all his, and everything he could ask for.

They can't bring themselves to pull away from each other because they fit against one another so perfectly and everything feels so good, so they cling to each other even as they remind themselves that this isn't going to go anywhere further than that one kiss. Nate smoothes Serena's messy, wavy hair out of her face and she grasps onto the lapels of his blazer as if holding onto him will help her steady herself, which is true on more than one level of their relationship.

Unable to resist, she presses her lips to his one more time but pulls back after only a few seconds. "That wasn't a slap," she whispers, still hanging onto him for dear life. She intends to berate him but it comes out sounding more like praise instead.

Nate knew what she wanted to say, and he's well-aware of how it ended up sounding, and he can't prevent his boyish grin. "No," he agrees, kissing her cheek adoringly before he glances down at her hands on his lapels. "But I think Barney Stinson would agree that this is a very good usage of _suiting up_."

**A/N: **If you loved it, hated it, or had thoughts somewhere in the middle, I'd love it if you let me know what they were! Reviews are wonderful things. Feel free to make tv show/movie requests. I can't promise I'll fulfill them, but it's worth a shot. :)


	2. Gilmore girls

**A/N: **Thank you so much for your reviews!

**2. Gilmore girls**

"Okay," Nate says as set a bowl of chips down and takes a seat next to Serena on the floor. "Do you think we have enough junk food now?" She had been adamant that it just wouldn't be the same _experience_ if they didn't pig out.

Serena adjusts the pillows behind her back and lifts the blanket lying across her lap to drape it over his legs as well. "Yep, I think we're finally set."

"For the record," he tells her as she grabs the DVD player's remote, "I still cannot believe you talked me into…_this_."

"Aw, c'mon, Natie," she sighs, flashing him a brilliant grin. "We made a deal. You do something for me, I do something for you."

"Yeah, well…maybe watching TV wasn't exactly what I had in mind when we made that deal," he replies daringly.

Her eyebrows fly up as her lips curve into a smile, but her gaze stays focused on the television screen as she expertly navigates the DVD's menu and presses play. "Your turn will come soon enough," she says calmly, though he thinks he might feel her shiver through the side of her body that is pressed close to his. They always tend to sit close together, even when they've got plenty of room. "Besides, I happen to know that you secretly _love_ this show."

"What?!" he cries, only to have her _shhh!_ him as the show begins and the characters begin to talk at their typically fast pace. In a softer tone, he adds, "What the hell would give you that idea?"

She waits for the opening credits to begin before she turns to him and says triumphantly: "You used to watch this with Blair and me all the time."

"Yeah, because you guys _harassed _me into watching it!"

Serena smirks adorably and gathers several gummy bears in her hands, popping a couple into his open mouth. As he chews, she teases, "Nathaniel Archibald, are you scared of a couple innocent girls?"

"_Yes_," he says firmly, swallowing before he elaborates, "Because firstly, you guys are _not_ all that innocent." She blushes slightly but tries to hide it, because they both know how well-acquainted he is with _her _lack of innocence in particular. "And secondly, because every sane person on this earth is afraid of Blair Waldorf."

Serena shrugs blithely, finding an easy loophole in his argument. "I'm not."

"You're the exception," he grumbles.

"Okay, wait," she says, choosing to ignore the show for the moment as she directs all her attention toward him. "Are you saying that you were scared of Blair…but not of me?"

"You could never scare me," he tells her honestly. She's much more mellow than Blair – much like he is – and he understands her so well that very little in her life ever confuses him. He feels so secure with her. She's the least intimidating, least judgmental person that he knows.

Serena understands all of that exactly, which is why she simply says, "Thanks, Natie," in a gentle tone, her blue eyes locked with his.

He stuffs a couple cheesies in her mouth playfully, laughing at the glare she shoots him as she chews. He dips his head toward the screen. "Watch your stupid show," he tells her lightly.

"_Isht naw oopid!_" is her full-mouthed reply.

"Gross, S.," he says, but really he finds her adorable even then. He's not sure if there's anything she could do that would ever make him back off and reconsider his feelings for her.

She swallows, licks her lips – unconsciously driving him crazy – and insists, "It's not stupid! This show is awesome, and you love it just as much as I do, so shut up and watch."

He holds up his hands in surrender as they both face the screen once again, and when he lets his hands fall again he drapes one of his arms lightly over her shoulders. She shoots him one of those sweet smiles he sometimes thinks she reserves only for him and snuggles in close while they watch Lorelai and Rory banter onscreen.

"Remember how much Blair loved Logan?" she giggles sweetly at his side as she takes a bite of a Pop-Tart. She loves that they've reached a point in their relationship where they've forgiven and have been forgiven and they can talk about Blair without it getting remotely awkward, because they still love her but she now belongs to Chuck more than she does to either of them, leaving them to belong to one another instead, the way they'd always wanted to.

"Only because he went to Yale," Nate agrees, tilting his head and stealing a huge bite of her Pop-Tart, making her roll her eyes.

"Plus he's hot," Serena informs him, possibly as payback for eating her snack.

"No, he's not," he scoffs.

"Yes, he is." She laughs at the wounded expression he wears. "But you're cuter, Natie, I promise."

"There's a difference between _cute_ and _hot_."

Serena bites down lightly on her lower lip, considering. Her eyes linger on the screen as Logan and Rory talk. Finally, she gives in and admits, "You're hotter, too."

"Yeah?" he can't help but ask, studying her face to gauge the level of seriousness in those words.

"Don't push your luck, bud," she murmurs, so of course he does just that, dipping his head and pressing his lips to hers. She's obviously surprised, but she doesn't pull back for a millisecond; she kisses him back instantly, automatically opening her mouth against his. He cups her face in his hand and a couple of her fingers hook into the collar of is shirt, keeping him close. When they pull back for oxygen her eyes are glittering enticingly and his fingers have left cheesy residue on her cheek. He wipes at it lightly and kisses the last of it away.

Serena smiles softly at the tender way he touches her and tilts her head toward the screen.

"We're getting to the good part," she whispers, and he nods obediently as she settles in close to him, practically sitting in his lap, her back against his chest, the crown of her head just under his chin.

"Here's the question," she says softly one bag of chips and three Pop-Tarts later. Nate rests his cheek against the top of her head as she speaks, her hair is as soft and lustrous as ever and she smells _so good_. He gets caught up in her, in thoughts of her, and he misses the question.

"_Natie_," she pouts, and he breaks out of his musings, responding to her voice and that nickname instinctively. Her elbow digs lightly into his stomach as she scowls at him.

He makes a playfully apologetic face. "Sorry. Ask me again. I'm listening, I promise."

"Are you sure? It's very serious," she says solemnly, but there's a teasing note underneath.

"I'm listening," he assures her.

"Okay…Luke or Chris?" she asks, as if it's the most important question that will ever leave her lips.

He makes a face and takes a moment to consider. "Uh, well, Luke does sort of have that scruffy thing going on, which I guess some people would consider sexy…"

She giggles – a sound so pure and gentle and joyful that it makes his lips form a smile – and adjusts her position, accidentally elbowing him once again as she sits up a bit so that she can look him in the eye. She still leans close to him, their noses only a couple inches apart when she says fondly, "No, you moron. For _Lorelai_. Who would you pick for her?"

"Oh." He thinks about making the argument that he hasn't watched the show enough to really make that decision, but she'd know that was a lie. In the end, he finally says, "Christopher."

Serena bites the corner of her lower lip, surprised by his answer. "Really?" she asks mutedly. When he nods, she presses, "Why?"

"Because…because they've got all that history, you know? They didn't get married when they were younger and they probably shouldn't have, but…she was the first girl he loved. That means something special."

She studies his face, trying to ignore the way her heart jumps. She doesn't know how much meaning she can place on his assessment of the relationship two characters on a TV show have, but she can't help but wonder who the first girl Nate really loved was. "I guess that makes sense," she murmurs contemplatively, her eyes fixed on the screen.

"You don't agree." It's a statement; he can tell she's thinking something else.

"No. I mean, I agree with what you said. Of course that's something special, but…I think she should be with Luke."

Smiling softly, he offers her the opportunity to explain: "Why?"

"He's so…_consistent_. Ever since she moved to town with Rory and walked into his coffee shop, he's been an essential part of her life, and he's wanted even more. He never gave up on her, and when he got his chance with her he wanted it to be perfect. And he's _right_. He's the one who can really fit into their family. He's _always_ been there for Rory, too. He's a better father to her than her biological one is. He's there for her."

There's a short silence, during which she blinks and Nate gently pulls her body just the slightest bit closer to his, kissing her temple and resting his forehead against hers for a second. "You okay?" he mumbles, his eyes dark, serious blue.

She musters up a smile because she's the kind of person who's always got one at the ready and shrugs her shoulder that's not pressed against his. Her smile grows more genuine, wrinkling the skin around her eyes as she sweetly scrunches up her nose. "We all have our issues, Natie," she says dismissively, her voice strong.

He shrugs as well, his eyes searching hers in that probing, all-knowing way that most people never get to see. "Doesn't make them hurt any less," he reasons.

Tilting her head to the side slightly, the goings-on in the episode they're watching go ignored as she sweetly inquires, "When'd you get so smart, Nathaniel?"

"Oh, I was always smart," he tells her quickly, going along with her obvious desire to make their conversation more upbeat. "I just didn't want people to find out. It'd ruin my image."

"Oh, right, your _image_," she laughs. Things are so naturally light between them, always have been, but there is an undercurrent that they can't ignore, so many more things that they have to say. Her smile slips away and she exhales. "Well, thanks for letting me in on your secret," she manages.

"C'mon," he says gently, "You know all my secrets."

She shakes her head slightly. "Maybe I don't."

"What are you talking about? We're…we're us," he says, at a loss for any other way to describe their bond. "We're you and me. We're honest with each other."

"Nate," she breathes, unable to help her affectionate smile. He's just so innocent sometimes. "Sure we are. But it's only because we _don't_ tell each other everything. We're honest about the things we want to say, and we leave the rest out."

He frowns (adorably) and sets his jaw. "Okay, then, ask me anything. Let's _start_ telling each other everything."

Serena regards him warily. He's proposing that they delve into dangerous territory. There has always been so much unspoken between them. Maybe that's why they never really got together, because they never actually _told_ each other how they felt. But it's also what's kept them safe with each other, what's allowed them to fall back to each other time and time again without complications.

"You sure you wanna do that?" she finally asks them, smile still in place but eyes serious.

Nate nods confidently, telling her with his own blue orbs that he understands the potential consequences and he means it. He wants this; he wants _her_.

"Okay." She swallows hard, glances up into his eyes one last time for reassurance, and says, "So who was the first girl you loved?"

"What?" He's taken aback.

"You heard me, Natie," she tells him softly. "Earlier, you said you'd pick Christopher because he had all the history, because Lorelai was the first girl he loved. Who was the first girl _you_ loved?"

He feels a sudden rush of regret and uncertainty and he can see that she knows what he's thinking. He's determined to prove himself to her, though. "The first girl I loved?"

Serena nods, patiently tolerating his blatant attempt to put off answering.

Nate cracks a small smile. "You," he says. "It was you." She looks vaguely surprised, and he laughs, the tension easing its way out of his body. "What did you expect?"

"I don't know. Blair?" she says pointedly, one eyebrow arched, trying to suppress her smile.

He shakes his head. "I know we dated, but…it was always you. I don't know how to explain it better than that," he elaborates helplessly. "You and I have more history than Blair and I do, Serena. Even if we all grew up together, she had this fairytale or movie or whatever built up in her head and I was just playing my part. You were the one who really knew me. You still are."

She presses her lips together. "And is it _still_ me?"

"Look, I know that…it hasn't always been _consistent_, you and me. I guess we sort of lose each other sometimes for whatever reason. But…"

"But?" she whispers.

"But yes." He meets her eyes and nods, entirely sure in what he's saying. "Yes, it's still you. Even if we weren't consistent, we _were_ always essential. You've always meant so much to me. You've always been my other half. You know that, don't you?"

The credits roll and the DVD's main menu appears back on the screen, chirpy music (_la la la la_) playing on repeat in the background. Neither of them move.

"Yeah, I know that," she finally whispers, a smile sneaking onto her lips as she laughs breathlessly. Her body tingles from being pressed so close to his. With a sort of delighted incredulity, she gasps in some air and asks: "Nate, are you telling me you're in love with me?"

He sucks in a breath of his own and shoots her a bashful, boyish grin. "Now you know all my secrets," he says by way of reply.

Serena can only stare at him, her eyes glistening and her heart pounding. She doesn't know what to do or where they go from here. She opens her mouth to speak – maybe to say it back, maybe to ask him what comes next, maybe to tease him – but he beats her to it.

"But don't tell anyone, okay?" He sends her a wink that makes her melt. "It'd mess up my image."

"Right," she giggles airily. The lightness, the easiness is back between them; knowing everything hasn't ruined them, it's just brought something once buried and unspoken to life. She rests her head against his shoulder and picks up the last Pop-Tart, feeding him a bite. "Wouldn't want to ruin that," she says softly.


	3. glee

**A/N:** Thanks for your feedback on this! Just a quick note to say that this does mention _Glee's_ first-half-of-the-season finale. There aren't any serious plot give-aways, but there are some clues to what happens, so if you for some reason want to remain unspoiled because you haven't seen it yet…maybe come back and read this another time? :)

**3. glee**

"You're late."

Nate shakes his head fondly, smiling at the sound of Serena's slow, lazy voice. She is sprawled out on his couch, skirt wrinkled around her legs in her patterned tights, blonde head on a pillow, eyes blinking heavily.

He touches the top of her head. "_Sorry_ that I have _classes_ to go to," he teases, punctuating the statement by pressing a kiss into her hair.

"You _should_ be," she shoots back, her voice still thick with slumber.

He shrugs off his coat, dropping it to the floor, and nudges at her calf. She lifts her legs obediently, draping them over his lap the second he sits down at her side.

"You napped, didn't you?" he asks her knowingly, trying to keep himself from smirking.

"I had no choice! There was nothing else to do. And you were _late_!"

"Uh-huh," he mutters, pulling a bottle of sparkling water out of his backpack and handing it to her. "No choice, right…"

She giggles, pressing her lips together quickly to make herself stop. "How was your day?" she asks softly, genuinely curious.

"Good." Nate shrugs. "Kinda boring…"

"But thinking about our _Glee_ date this afternoon totally helped you get through it, right?" she prompts playfully.

He lets himself just _look_ at her for a moment, sweet smile and sleepy eyes. He watches her blink, the flutter of her eyelashes against her skin, and notes the adorable freckles on her cheek that become more pronounced in the summertime. "Yeah," he grins, "thinking about" _you_ " – _Glee _could help me through anything."

Serena sends him a quick, beaming smile before she turns away, reaching for the remote control. It's gotten harder, lately, with Nate. She catches him staring at her sometimes, and she catches _herself_ staring at him almost as often. Innocent flirtation, that easy pattern of theirs, doesn't feel quite so innocent recently, and she's not sure if she's ready to acknowledge what's happening between them.

She sinks back into her pillow, a contented sigh leaving her lips as the recap of the season thus far starts off the episode. Nate bought her these DVDs the day they came out, came over holding them over his head like a trophy and watched the first three episodes with her that afternoon while they drank hot cocoa. She knows, by now, that he would do anything for her, but she deeply appreciates that he doesn't _just_ do monumental, wonderful things, but the little things too, like buying her a whole season of a show he's just _convinced_ she'll love. And she does love it; he knows her that well.

"So," Nate comments, recapturing her attention, "We're finally watching the season finale. Or halfway-season-finale, or whatever. What do you think is going to happen?"

"Emma can't get married to Ken," she says instantly. "She and Will have to end up together."

Nate nods. "And the kids?"

"I think…" She draws out the words to give herself time to contemplate it. "I think Finn's gonna learn that Quinn's baby isn't his, but it's okay, because he's _secretly_ in love with Kurt."

"No way," Nate denies, buying into this game of guesses enthusiastically. "Finn and Brittany totally end up together."

She scrunches up her nose (_too _cutely, Nate thinks, _too_ irresistibly). "And _where_ do you get the evidence for this prediction?"

"C'mon, S!" he cries, as if it should be obvious to the world. "They're equally…well, not smart, but in this really sweet way."

"Like you?" she asks teasingly, sitting up so that she can pinch his nose affectionately.

Nate shrugs; he's okay with that so long as… "If I'm Finn then you're Brittany. We end up together."

"I'm not Brittany!" she protests, lying back again. "I can tell my left from my right, thank you very much."

"Okay, then you're Quinn," he reasons, because Quinn could totally end up with Finn, too. Eventually, anyway, after all the drama, and that's the important part.

"Stop picking my character according to my hair colour!" Serena giggles, and he feels it, the laughter coursing through her body. It makes him smile. "_Blair_ is Quinn."

He shakes his head. "Blair's _Rachel_."

Serena frowns. "No. Well…maybe. She's _both_."

Nate chuckles good-naturedly, because only Serena would bend the rules of this name-game they're playing that way. "Okay, she's both."

Her eyes sparkle. "Does that mean that Puck's Chuck?"

"Their names rhyme!" Nate points out needlessly, and it makes Serena's smile widen.

"Except Chuck would never get a mohawk."

His eyes widen comically. "Unless we did it _for_ him…"

She bursts out laughing. "Ohmygod, he'd _kill_ us. Blair would kill us, too. Can you imagine?"

"Might be worth it," he says, waggling his eyebrows. "Y'know, as long as we did it together."

"Easy for you to say," she scoffs playfully. "Chuck would be the one killing you. I would get Blair. She _throws_ stuff. And she has good aim!"

Nate sighs as if deeply disappointed. "Okay, fine, no giving Chuck a mohawk. Only 'cause I care about your safety."

"_Thank_ you, Nate, you're _so_ considerate," she laughs, rolling her eyes jokingly at his feigned disappointment. "Oh!" she cries, turning her head fully toward the TV. "Look, Mike Chang! I love him. Look at his cute little smile! I wish they'd give him and that other guy he's always hanging out with some _lines_."

He chuckles, because she's cute in her desire for equality amongst the characters despite the fact that it's just a show. He rubs her leg absently, his attention on the television again as he thinks of the whole characterization thing. "Maybe Blair could just be Quinn, because she's already with Chuck, and look," he points to what's happening, the two characters having a quiet conversation, "Puck says he wants to be with Quinn, so maybe they'll be together in the end. And _you_ can be Rachel."

"Nate, in _what ways_ am I like Rachel?" she asks patiently, holding back her smile.

"You, well…you're really pretty, you're both pretty. And you both…have this way of _demanding_ attention, except she actually _asks_ for it and you just get a bunch of it. You say what you're thinking, like she does. You're nice to the people you love and you stand up for them. She does cute things, like you do – remember that time she baked _I'm Sorry_ cookies?" He turns to her to see what she thinks.

Serena's smiling thoughtfully. "Yeah, but she's _definitely_ going to end up with Will!" she says with an impish grin, pushing his buttons just because she can. "Remember when they sang _Endless Love_. Sparks were flying all over the place."

He doesn't really absorb the joke. "Who's _Will_?" he demands, asking for the corresponding character in her life.

She purses her lips in thought. "Maybe Carter?" she suggests casually. He's older and has the same kind of magnetic appeal she sees in Will Shuester.

Nate shakes his head vehemently. "_No_. She's gonna end up with Finn." He looks right at Serena, ignoring the show's goings-ons completely, needing her to look back at him. He needs her to understand what he's implying and promise him that it's true.

"Yeah, probably…" She nods slowly, figuring that it's probably true.

"Seriously, Serena, don't you think so?" Nate presses her, he can't help it. "Ever since the very first episode –"

Serena cuts him off with a squeal of, "_Mike Chang_!" She points toward the television excitedly, all of her attention captured. For whatever reason, he's her favourite character, and she's invested in everything the guy does.

Nate grits his teeth for a second. The smallest part of him is annoyed with her (_pay attention to me, not Mike Chang_); a huge part of him just wants to kiss her. Needless to say, the latter part is overwhelming him. It takes a great deal of control and concentration for him to ask her gently, teasingly, "What is _with_ you and your obsession with Mike Chang?"

She pouts, and in doing so only increases his desire to kiss her; she sees his eyes land on her lips. She ignores this and says enthusiastically, "Mike Chang is awesome, Nate. He's an amazing dancer and he wears cute plaid shirts." Those are the two main reasons she loves him; that and the fact that his whole character is still sort of a mystery.

There is a moment of silence between the two of them, despite the singing coming from his TV's speakers, and then Nate huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I could wear plaid shirts," he mutters, staring at the television instead of looking at her face.

She is so tempted to let those words fade away, to laugh them off and pretend they don't mean anything, but instead she finds herself looking over at him, a slow slide of her eyes in his direction. She lets her gaze rest on his face until he can't ignore the weight of it and turns to look at her. Her breath catches in her throat, an audible hitch, at the look in his eyes. Nate looks strangely _vulnerable_, hopeful in spite of the fact that he's trying so desperately to quell that hope.

Serena blinks rapidly. "Yeah?" she asks, her lips curving up into a smile. "Well, can you dance, too?"

He smiles back, but he can feel the way it shakes with uncertainty. Serena's licking her lips and he can't _not_ watch the smooth sweep of her pink tongue, the way it darts out and then back in. "Are you _measuring_ me against this guy? You are, aren't you? You're comparing me to Mike Chang. The dude's _fictional_."

She doesn't deny it. "And I'm waiting for you to _prove yourself_, Natie."

Nate narrows his eyes; smiling gets a little easier. "Was I or was I not the only boy who would dance with you in second-year ballroom classes?"

Her jaw drops and she pulls the pillow out from behind her head, sitting up and whacking him with it. "Not fair!"

"You wanna talk about _fair_? You stepped on my toes, Serena!"

"You're not allowed to _complain_ about it." She hits him with the pillow again, all thoughts of Mike Chang forgotten. "What _happened_ to you, Nathaniel? You were such a gentleman back then."

He's grinning, but he deepens his voice and tries to sound threatening as he asks, "Are you implying something about my gentlemanly behaviour now?"

She doesn't back down. "Yes. That's it's _nonexistent_."

"Oh, you are going to _pay_ for that…"

"Gentleman don't punish girls!" she shrieks as his fingers inch close to her feet, threatening to tickle.

"But I'm _not_ a gentleman, sweetheart; remember?"

She gets distracted by that one word, _sweetheart_, which he says so easily, like it's no big deal. And it makes her ache a little, makes her stomach twist, because maybe it _could_ be that easy, maybe it could be this sweet for them every single day, maybe this could just go on forever.

"_Nate_," Serena pleads, her voice small and a little far-off, as his hands skip her feet altogether and instead land on her stomach, inching up her shirt for better tickling-access to her skin. He doesn't know if he's crossing any lines, but she's shifting against the couch and starting to giggle a little, so he thinks its okay.

"You asked for it," he tells her, stretching out so that she's half-pinned beneath him, careful not to let too much of his weight rest against her.

"_Nate, no!_" She's squealing now, voice high and full of laughter, as she bats at his hands uselessly. His hands are all over her, and it's giving her butterflies, and she hooks one of her legs lightly over one of his without really thinking about it. "Did _not_; I did not!"

"Admit that you like me more than Mike Chang."

"That would be _lying_," she shoots back breathlessly from beneath him. His body is closely aligned to the position of hers now, so that he's hovering over her, the two of them fitting together against one another. She's lying flat, now that there's no longer a pillow under her head, and his proximity is very nearly dizzying.

Nate adopts a mock-wounded expression, his hands stilling. "You _can't_ be serious." He tugs the hem of her shirt down a bit before he lets himself relax against her a bit more, one of his hands drifting upward so that his knuckles can touch her cheek, the other resting on her thigh. He wishes she wasn't wearing tights.

Something inside of her – her resolve, or perhaps her heart – cracks. She smiles shyly at him. She wants to blurt _kiss me_ but manages to say, "Okay, okay, I surrender."

He smiles at the way her hands move over his shoulders and onto his back. "So what's the truth, van der Woodsen?"

"The truth…" Serena exhales. Her body feels like it might be shaking. "The truth is that I like Nathaniel Archibald more than Mike Chang."

"How much more?" he prods, smirking down at her, making a solid effort to keep all of his thoughts from focusing on how beautiful she is, and how _close_ she is.

She grins and the bites her lip. "Mike Chang…is just a crush."

"And me?"

She searches his eyes, his whole face, for a moment. And then she tilts her chin forward, feeling her heart pound. He looks as hesitant as she feels.

"And me?" Nate repeats in a softer voice, his lips _so close_ to hers.

"And you," Serena agrees in a whisper, and then she kisses him.

It's just one kiss, but he lets it linger and she doesn't mind at all, simply pulls him the slightest bit closer to her and revels in it. It isn't supposed to mean anything, but it means _everything_, and after years of ignoring it they're just _tired_, so tired of lying to themselves.

He pulls away first, looking at her adoringly. He's vaguely aware of Rachel Berry's voice in the background, but he's focused solely on Serena. "S…" he says softly, and, unable to resist, he leans down to kiss her once again before they let the moment fade away. He's a little bit afraid that they might have to start talking about this, about _them_, but it also feels like relief, like _finally_.

But she sneaks her hand in between their mouths so that his lips land on her palm. She opens her blue eyes and moves her hand so that he can see her small smile and the mischievous quality to it.

"You still have to prove to me that you can dance."

He laughs, loud and happy, and kisses her so quickly she doesn't have time to stop him before he pushes himself upward, sitting back. He extends his hands to her, helping her sit up as well. "Okay, I'll prove it." He stands from the couch, pulling Serena with him.

"Are you gonna pop and lock?" she laughs.

"Even better."

"I will have you know," Serena says firmly, yanking her hands out of his, "that Mike Chang –"

He reaches for her, grabs her around the waist and pulls her toward him, cuts her off with another kiss. "Shut up about Mike Chang," he growls against her mouth.

"Jealous?" she asks, batting her eyelashes innocently.

"Very," Nate confirms, and kisses her once again.

"Natie! Stop _doing_ that."

"Doing what?" he asks her with a cheeky grin, his expression just as innocent as hers was a moment ago.

The words get caught in her throat for just a second, because they don't do this, and they don't talk about this, they just _don't_. She breathes in. "_Kissing_ me."

"You're not enjoying it?" he tucks his head into her neck, inhales the smell of her shampoo, and kisses a point just below her jaw. "'Cause I _really_ am, so I don't know if I can stop."

"We're supposed to be _dancing_," Serena sighs, evading his question. She tries to pull away from him, suddenly uneasy.

Nate wraps his arm around her waist, tightly but not _too_ tightly. He's not going to let her get away. He lifts his head, resting his cheek against the side of her head. "Eric could be Artie," he jokes, casual conversation, trying to make her relax.

And she does, allowing herself to lean into him as she laughs lightly. "Jonathon could be Kurt!"

He smiles to himself, the fingers of one of his hands splayed against her lower back, touching bare skin. "And what about Tina?"

"Dunno," she says softly, relaxing against him even more, using a tone that conveys that she doesn't even care anymore. He inches his feet just a little bit closer to hers and she takes it as an invitation even though she's not entirely sure that it is, and she rests her feet atop his, careful not to let him take on too much of her weight.

Her arms are draped around his neck and he's moving them a little bit now, a gentle sway that does not match the tempo of the songs being sung in the background, but that doesn't matter to either of them. He rests his forehead against hers. "How's this for dancing?"

"You suck compared to Mike Chang," she says quietly, but then she looks up at him adds, "But I think you're a better kisser."

"Oh yeah? You and Mike Chang lock lips a lot?"

Her nose brushes against his. "Nah. I told him I kind of have a guy."

"Kind of?" His eyebrows fly upward.

"Kind of," Serena confirms, a smile sneaking onto her lips.

"And what's this guy like?" His heart is doing _somersaults_, or something.

"He's…a lot of things. A lot of my favourite things." She fakes a pout, making herself be brave and refusing to break eye contact. "But I just wish he'd invest in some plaid shirts."

The impulse to kiss her is building up fiercely, because they could kiss forever and they'd still have kisses they missed out on to make up for. "You know, I think there's a very real possibility he might."

Her eyes light up, she can feel it, and see it in the way Nate's smile widens the slightest bit. "You know him? Does he ever talk about me?"

"Can I trust you?" He squints at her as if that will help him decide.

She nods.

"Okay. Well, just between you and me…" He has to pause, because she is so close to him right now that he just knows he wouldn't be able to bare it if he screwed this up. "Between you and me, I think he's…" _In love with you_ is too scary, and he hates himself for being a coward, but he knows this girl, always has, and he knows what will spook her. "I think he loves you," he settles on saying, and holds his breath for a few seconds, anticipating her response.

Serena's mouth falls open, but it takes her a moment to speak. "In what ways?" she whispers, begging him with her eyes; _tell me_.

He lifts one of his hands, cupping her cheek tenderly. "In _every_ way," he tells her simply, and it surprises them both, how easily he manages to say it.

She exhales slowly. "Wanna know a secret?" she breathes out, leaning into his touch. "Just between you and me, I love him all those ways too." Her eyes are prickling, like she might need to cry soon.

Nate skims his thumb over her lower lip gently. "And what if he loves you all those ways and _more_…"

Her tears spill over before she realizes she actually needs to shed them, and she laughs at herself, embarrassed, as Nate tenderly wipes them away. "Then, I…" She shakes her head, biting her lip.

He chuckles as the _Glee_ kids burst into song on the screen, the final number for the episode, some Kelly Clarkson song. "You take back all the things you said before?" he jokes, quoting the lyrics and lightening the mood for her. _It's okay_. He would wait a decade for her. He has already.

Serena smiles, but her eyes remain remarkably solemn. "More like…we're forever united here somehow," she shrugs, and her laughter is weaker, quieter than what Nate is used to.

"I bet that guy of yours is more than okay with that deal. As long as Mike Chang's not included in the definition of _we_."

She shakes her head. "No, he's not included."

"_Good,"_ he tells her emphatically, and adds playfully, "'Cause you've got a piece of me, you know." He wants her to smile, to mock him for loving _Glee_ and knowing the words to some pop song. He wants _the_ Serena smile, the one that lights her whole being up and, consequently, lights him up too.

She shakes her head once again; hair falls into her face and he pushes it away, tucks it back behind her ear. "You have _all_ of me, Nate," she says softly, and then she kisses him with so much intensity that he can't support them both anymore, her standing on his feet like that, so they both kind of topple onto the couch, and every thought but how much he _wants_ her and _loves_ her and _needs_ her flies right out of his mind.

Serena smiles against his mouth and he feels the warmth of it in his chest, and then spreading throughout his whole body. "And my life…would suck…without you," she murmurs in between kisses, and her hands slip between them to unbutton and unzip his jeans.

She breaks the kiss with a giggle, fingers hooked into the waistband of his boxers, her eyes a bright, electric blue.

"Oh, are you _kidding_ me?" Nate groans, kissing her cheek. She murmurs _mm_ at the feeling and arches her body toward his as he continues, "If I had _known_ your obsession with plaid extended to boxers as well I could've had you from the very beginning of this conversation!"

"Natie, you idiot," she sighs affectionately as his hands slip beneath her skirt. "You _did._"


End file.
